Brain Food: Spicy or Mild, Red Peppers Should be On Your Menu

We’re almost done with our Brain Food series, and I’ve saved the best for last. Red Peppers!

There are a lot of people who won’t eat peppers because they think they’re too pungent. Bell peppers, however, are the only member of the Capsicum family that doesn’t have any zest! They lack the gene that makes capsaicin, the chemical that gives chiles their characteristic zing.

Most authorities talk about how good red bell peppers are for you. The don’t say much about spicy peppers, though. I think they’re caving under to their constituency, rather like a cheaper version of Rod Blagojevich. Here’s the dirty little secret: Hot red peppers have the same brain-boosting nutrients, and in about the same amount per pound, as ripe bell peppers.

Now that you know that, you can continue to be a raging chilehead and claim it’s for your health. (If you’re not a chilehead, start now!)

What are the nutrients in these peppers, exactly? How about vitamin C? A cup of sweet red peppers has three times the recommended daily amount of this key vitamin. There’s also vitamins A and K in abundance. Although nobody’s proven a direct benefit to the brain from fiber, there’s plenty of that too, and your overall health will certainly benefit from that stuff.

Items that are especially good for your brain health include vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), molybdenum, and the colored species lycopene and beta-carotene. Most of these are antioxidants, and we’ve already seen how important that class of chemicals is to memory function and disease prevention. As a side benefit, you can get an immune system boost, reduce inflammation (if you suffer from arthritis or asthma), and even get stronger bones.

Folks who enjoy bell peppers of all colors often use them in salads. That’s certainly one way to get them into you diet! We like them in stir-fry dishes, and I’m sure you’ve heard of stuffed peppers. Red ones work just as well as green ones, and I think they taste better.

Don’t stay away from the zesty peppers either! You can use milder versions if you don’t like much heat, like red Fresnos or ripe jalapeños. If you enjoy a big zing on your tongue, use some slivered cayennes or even Thai chiles. Take the seeds out and you can eat more of the tasty outside. Just remember: You probably can’t eat as much of these tasty chiles as you can a sweet red pepper. So mix and match.